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Using old Leica film cameras

Godfrey

Godfrey

Well-known member
I owned these cameras in the now-distant past and love them, but nowadays my '78 Leica M4-2 is old enough for me when it comes to old Leicas. :D
Of course, I could not resist the siren song and also have four Kodak Retina IIc cameras as well... along with 35 and 85 mm lenses, etc. Have To Stop! 😱

You should develop your own B&W, it doesn't take much beyond a tank, developer and fixer. A Lab Box daylight load tank, or an Agfa Rondix 35, means no darkroom or dark bag needed ...

Just trying to help ... LOL! G
 
pegelli

pegelli

Well-known member
I have the same feeling as Godfey, my 1958 M2 is old enough to not lust for an older M39 model. I got the M2 in exchange for a IIIf (+money) in 1977 mainly for the much better viewfinder and easier film loading. Only the rangefinder is a step back, the larger magnification of the separate rangefinder of the IIIf made it more easy to use/accurate, especially with 90 and 135 mm lenses. Only if I would find back that same IIIf (which was bought new by my father in 1949) I could be tempted, but since I lost the note with the serial number on it the chances of that happening are about 0%.

These days I still develop my own B&W film but don't have a printing dark room anymore, so after development it's scanning and further digital processing.
 
Godfrey

Godfrey

Well-known member
pegelli said:
...
These days I still develop my own B&W film but don't have a printing dark room anymore, so after development it's scanning and further digital processing.
Click to expand...
We do the same, pegelli: I have not done wet-lab printing since 1990. My film process has been all "develop film on the kitchen counter, scan, and finish rendering in the digital domain" ever since then. That's because I moved from my last apartment in San Francisco that year (where I would often convert the largish kitchen to a darkroom) and have not had any place that I could set up a darkroom since. I don't miss the darkroom experience at all—I'm much better at rendering in the digital domain than I ever was in a wet lab, and the advancement of high-quality inkjet printing from 2004 onwards has obviated any personal need or desire for silver-gelatin printing.

That Leica Ic is a lovely piece, however, and very appealing in its simplicity.

G
 
A

algrove

Well-known member
I must say the 1C is just right and I wish todays M was about that size.

After the 1960's with film only who needs a light meter today anyway-just open the film rolls cardboard box and follow what they say on there inside and all is OK. I remember Kodachrome in the 70's. It produced the most natural and saturated color I had ever seen. I bulk rolled Tri-X and used it all there time in college for the Year Book and Newspaper images. Getting that job is a whole other story which started with my Grandmother's Kodak fixed lens rangefinder which she loaned me.
 
dave.gt

dave.gt

Well-known member
algrove said:
I must say the 1C is just right and I wish todays M was about that size.

After the 1960's with film only who needs a light meter today anyway-just open the film rolls cardboard box and follow what they say on there inside and all is OK. I remember Kodachrome in the 70's. It produced the most natural and saturated color I had ever seen. I bulk rolled Tri-X and used it all there time in college for the Year Book and Newspaper images. Getting that job is a whole other story which started with my Grandmother's Kodak fixed lens rangefinder which she loaned me.
Click to expand...
The IC is only 1/2” longer than my Leica X1. It is certainly small!:):):)
 
A

algrove

Well-known member
dave.gt said:
Just wondering, did you get some film?:):):)
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Yes. Have some Delta 400 and a few Acros II coming this next week. Decided to start with a 24 roll of 400 as I want to keep my shutter speed up since my personal IBIS is malfunctioning all too often.
 
dave.gt

dave.gt

Well-known member
The Leica IC… dare I say that camera you have there with all the patina, has real soul.

Do you know the history of it?
 
dave.gt

dave.gt

Well-known member
And of course, to be period cirrect, you will need an appropriate light meter. Or, if you are really good at Sunny 16 and such, you can pity those like me who just can’t seem to get great results that way. I have tried Sunny 16 fir decades and I always gave up.
A month ago I loaded my old 1949 TLR with film and I am still waiting for the perfect day when I can go out and shoot it with Sunny 16.

I am going to research the latest surviving examples of older light meters, but to be honest, the current Voitlander is probably the best choice:

www.bhphotovideo.com

Voigtlander VC Speed Meter II (Black)

Buy Voigtlander VC Speed Meter II (Black) Review Voigtlander VC Speed Meter II
www.bhphotovideo.com www.bhphotovideo.com
 
dave.gt

dave.gt

Well-known member
algrove said:
To the best of my knowledge there were no light meters offered back in 1931, but I could be wrong.
Click to expand...
LOL… there were light meters dating back to 1910 and selenium was used in 1932. Not something for small 35mm cameras though. But a nice metal small sized Voigtlander or a TTArtisan meter looks close enough and are very good to use even if you keep them in your pocket.:)

blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk

E is for... Exposure meters - National Science and Media Museum blog

Today, we take correct exposure for granted, but things were very different in the past. Colin Harding sheds some light on the murky world of exposure meters.
blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk
 
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Godfrey

Godfrey

Well-known member
I remember a small collection of extinction meters from as far back as the '20s that my grandfather and father once gave me when i was just starting to make photographs. I wonder now whatever happened to them.

Yes, the Voigtländer exposure meter is excellent (have one, use it a lot), and i bet the TTArtisans clone is too. Well worth it to get a solid baseline for proper exposure...

G
 
A

algrove

Well-known member
Well, I am just beginning to process many rolls of B&W film shot using either an M6 TTL 0.58 rangefinder or a 0.85 rangefinder. At first I thought JCH400 shot @200 and developed in Monolith was no good. But after a LONG process I see it's not so bad. Example below, but it lacks the contrast I prefer.

Process-Cinestill Monobath, scan with M11 with Venus Loawa APO 85 f5.6 at about f11. Then using C1 to crop out edges where I messed up scanning and straightening. Then since C1 cannot just reverse a negative to a positive, I go to PS. Convert to positive and then adjust as B&W. Clean up file. Then send it back to C1 for mostly reduced H/L, shadows up a bit where necessary, White Bal reduced, Black reduced depending on film and negative. Lastly I might adjust Luma Curve with a gentle curve and sometimes adjust contrast. No local adjustments, dodging nor burning just yet.

Shot same scene with Delta 3200 @3200 and @1000 (2 rolls) processed with DD-X, but can't tell the difference looking at the negatives on first glance. Also shot this scene with Cinestill BWXX @200 and will see how they come out. Also remembered I shot this with Ilford PanF+ @50. also processed in DD-X. Everything is processed, but with the above process it takes a LONG time to get to the end product.

M1004702pos.jpg
 
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algrove

Well-known member
Here's an Ilford Delta 3200 @3200-similar scene. Personally I like the contrast on this image so far the best.

M1004601pos.jpg
 
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